Hi,

Does anyone have tips on balancing a one piece (non-sectional,
non-rollup) wooden garage door (2-car garage). I'm replacing all four
springs, and putting in a new Genie screw drive opener (last one lasted
26 yrs!) I've always been under the impression that if the door holds
stationary when the bottom of the door is about a foot or two off the
ground that the door is balanced...is this true?

Should the spring tension be increased if the door does not hold
stationary...or decreased?

I'll post a summary if I get enough response.

TIA

--
SteveO

On 12/12/2004 10:35 AM US(ET), The Guy took fingers to keys, and typed
the following:

Hi,

Does anyone have tips on balancing a one piece (non-sectional,
non-rollup) wooden garage door (2-car garage). I'm replacing all four
springs, and putting in a new Genie screw drive opener (last one lasted
26 yrs!) I've always been under the impression that if the door holds
stationary when the bottom of the door is about a foot or two off the
ground that the door is balanced...is this true?

Should the spring tension be increased if the door does not hold
stationary...or decreased?

I'll post a summary if I get enough response.

TIA



Someone posted some rule of thumb here recently. It applied to a roll up
sectional door, but it may be the same for your application. I'll
paraphrase since I don't remember it word for word.
When the door is hand lifted 1/3 of the way up and let go, it should
close by itself. When the door is lifted 2/3rds of the way up and let
go, the door should continue to roll to its fully open position. Adjust
the springs as necessary to get both results.

Umm, I have an alternate view.
I adjust so that at hip height, it stays there. If I want
to lower it, I need to push it down. If I want to raise it,
from the midpoint, I push and it goes up. Actually makes it a bit
easier for the opener, too.
That way, if my wife disengages the door from the opener,
and starts to raise the door, it 'wants' to go to midpoint, rather
than to go down. And if she has had to disconnect the opener,
I don't want her to work much to get the door up high enough
to drive the car under it. I also don't want it to be drifting
downwards as she is backing out, because it wouldn't be apparent
from inside the car until she heard expensive noises.

willshak wrote in message
...
Someone posted some rule of thumb here recently. It applied to a roll up
sectional door, but it may be the same for your application. I'll
paraphrase since I don't remember it word for word.
When the door is hand lifted 1/3 of the way up and let go, it should
close by itself. When the door is lifted 2/3rds of the way up and let
go, the door should continue to roll to its fully open position. Adjust
the springs as necessary to get both results.

The Guy wrote:
Hi,

Does anyone have tips on balancing a one piece (non-sectional,
non-rollup) wooden garage door (2-car garage). I'm replacing all
four
springs, and putting in a new Genie screw drive opener (last one
lasted
26 yrs!) I've always been under the impression that if the door
holds
stationary when the bottom of the door is about a foot or two off the

ground that the door is balanced...is this true?

Should the spring tension be increased if the door does not hold
stationary...or decreased?

I'll post a summary if I get enough response.

TIA

--
SteveO

The door should stay fairly stationary (may drift a couple of inches)
at any point in the travel.

If the door drops the spring tension would be increased, if it wants to
fly open the tension would be decreased.
Doordoc
www.DoorsAndOpeners.com

Does anyone have tips on balancing a one piece (non-sectional,
non-rollup) wooden garage door (2-car garage). I'm replacing all four
springs, and putting in a new Genie screw drive opener (last one lasted
26 yrs!) I've always been under the impression that if the door holds
stationary when the bottom of the door is about a foot or two off the
ground that the door is balanced...is this true?

Is there a problem that requires NEW springs?

If not, Leave them alone and just put up a new opener if it has gone
bad.
I cannot see the benefit of changing something that is not having
problems, unless you are going to change design type.
Going to a Sectional overhead door, is a great excuse to change, but
if there is no direct benefit from it other than ,
say,..........Cosmetics,..........Why bother?

I do believe a Sectional overhead to be a safer type of door than the
one piece version you have described. I have had both and Wouldn't
spend a dime for repair on a single piece unit. The weight of the
single piece will almost certainly kill almost any new model consumer
grade garage door opener in short order also. The one you had for 26
years was likely a much better quality unit than anything that can be
bought nowadays and was probably built with the single piece door in
mind, as more of them were used on residences at the time of
manufacture.

This opinion and suggestion is merely that. I do understand your
installation, but not the need to "fix" the unbroken.

Hope this helps at all.



Remove "YOURPANTIES" to reply

MUADIB®

http://www.angelfire.com/retro/sster...IN%20PAGE.html

one small step for man,.....
One giant leap for attorneys.

Most brands recommend the door should remain in position when you
let go of it at half way opened/closed, or thereabouts. While
you're at it, I hope you're also including safety wires in case a
spring should break? I can tell you from personal experience, it
does happen and is one hell of a surprise when you're nearby g.
Also a little destructive.

A couple other comments are inline:

MUADIB® wrote:
Does anyone have tips on balancing a one piece
(non-sectional,
non-rollup) wooden garage door (2-car garage). I'm replacing
all
four springs, and putting in a new Genie screw drive opener
(last
one lasted 26 yrs!) I've always been under the impression
that if
the door holds stationary when the bottom of the door is
about a
foot or two off the ground that the door is balanced...is
this true?

Is there a problem that requires NEW springs?
== That's not what he asked. Knowing that would not get a
useful answer to his question if YOU were to decide it didn't
have to be done. Please stick to the subject matter when you
respond.


If not, Leave them alone and just put up a new opener if it
has gone
bad.
== We don't know whether it's gone bad, but that's not relevant
to the question posed here.

I cannot see the benefit of changing something that is not
having
problems, unless you are going to change design type.
== That's an opinion, based on unknown information, and not
relevant.

Going to a Sectional overhead door, is a great excuse to
change, but
if there is no direct benefit from it other than ,
say,..........Cosmetics,..........Why bother?
== Not only is it irrelevant, but it's condescending of you to
make such statements. Do you know something we don't about that
situation? I doubt it.



I do believe a Sectional overhead to be a safer type of door
than the
one piece version you have described. I have had both and
Wouldn't
spend a dime for repair on a single piece unit.
== He didn't ask if you had enough money to be able to buy new
instead of repair now, did he?

The weight of the
single piece will almost certainly kill almost any new model
consumer
grade garage door opener in short order also.
== Completely and totally wrong. From you answer, I don't
believe you had one or that you even had an accurate idea how
they operate. There are at least three different possibilities
in how they operate, and none would put any more stress on an
opener than a normal sectional door.

The one you had for 26
years was likely a much better quality unit than anything that
can be
bought nowadays and was probably built with the single piece
door in
mind, as more of them were used on residences at the time of
manufacture.
== Again, you are only appearing condescending, even egocentric
about all this. Try warez groups if all you want to do is make
posts for no good reason.



This opinion and suggestion is merely that. I do understand
your
installation, but not the need to "fix" the unbroken.
== No, you (admittedly, in fact, earlier) do NOT understand his
installation.


Hope this helps at all.

== When one has nothing to say, that's exactly what one should
say.

Regards,

Pop

--
---
If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil
is made from vegetables, then what is baby
oil made from?

Following your own advice huh?


== When one has nothing to say, that's exactly what one should
say.

Regards,

Pop



I gave what I considered advice, and opinion. This was stated as
opinion and recommendation in my post. If you do not agree, that's
fine. If you have better advice or recommendation , that's fine. Give
it. opinion stated as follows

from my first post/reply
This opinion and suggestion is merely that.

Is it less condescending to admonish someone for their opinion stated
as such,......or to just give your opinion?

My original post was thoughtful, as you believe yours to be.
I asked a question to help me get more info to go about forming a
better picture if need be.
I offered an opinion as to what might be considered in further
discussion.
I am not only familiar with the garage door type the original poster
describes, I have practical experience.

What I offered, was an opinion. If it is not seen as such, that's
fine also..............just mark it read in your browser.
Hell,...............Just put my input on your KILLFILE
list..............I don't unserstand what makes your condescending
remarks any more helpful than the remarks I made , which you deem
condescending................They were not intended as such, and if
the original poster feels they are, I Personally apologize. I was only
trying to help.

Pop, plonk me and save your typing time if I so offend you with my
postings. Didn't your mother tell you to follow your own advice?

Your personal input is of little value as well.
The door type that is being described was generally built on site out
of simple lumber. 2X4's and Plywood normally. Simple things. The
hardware and hinges were the part that is not manufactured onsite. I
have not in my limited experience ever seen any such rule of thumb
applied to single piece garage doors ever, either one, or two car
sizes. The way they are built, it is next to impossible to "balance"
one for anything other than ease of operation. There is no "level" or
"height" of any part of the door to measure to "get it right", as they
are built almost in place and vary extremely due to building
materials.
It is difficult to open a one piece wooden garage door even for
healthy young folk. Even when they are "adjusted properly".

Now for a diagram and a Website that pretty much helps explain the
workings and adjustment, since I went ahead and did a search for
info..........Pop,...........you coulda done this too, but must have
been pre-occupied trying to be my mother.

http://www.foothilldoors.com/helpgifs2/doorinstall.html

Is this like your door mounting?

Step 11 shows a basic installation and adjustment arrangement and
explains the mechanism fairly well, Just from a picture.
The doors I dealt with years ago, were not exactly like this, but the
principles of the whole mounting and adjsutment were similar enough
that i won't try and confuse things with my OPINION. Thanks Pop.

It is my recomendation, that when you post help. You reply to the
person that posted................. Not to the reply posted to help
them.

There are enough people in life that want to be someone's mother that
are also as totally unqualified.

Something to ponder for all of the folks that happen to read this post
completely:

If you have a question ask it.
If you have an answer, give it.
If you have an opinion , OPINE,................
If you don't like what you read,............... Move on to the next
thread,.................It's only opinion!( throw in your opinion if
you feel the need, but don't expect it to be taken as gospel or
accepted without further comment,....yeah, start a flame war)
If you're looking to change the environment on newsgroups, keep on
trying, but be aware that it is futile.


Remove "YOURPANTIES" to reply

MUADIB®

http://www.angelfire.com/retro/sster...IN%20PAGE.html

one small step for man,.....
One giant leap for attorneys.

snipped to save ether

I stand by each and every comment I made. You have demonstrated
that you CAN be helpful in your separate answer to him, which is
quite different from your original post, even a Very Good on the
1-5 scale, IMO.

Two things caused me to make the observations I did make: 1,
what I said in the post that ****ed you off, and 2. what you
probably think is cute, in your sig. You see, I had something to
say, so I said it.
If your skin is so thin that things like that bother you, then
I might suggest you need to thicken it up a bit, and be more
specific in your postings. I abhor those who waste bandwidth
with posts that either don't respond to the OP's question or are
argumentative.
No need to plonk you; if I dont' want to read something, I can
remember well enough who/what it is I'm not interested in.
Besides, all plonks do is hide a person's actual posts - you
still see them referenced in other's posts. So, ain't no real
future in it unless one enjoys a rules list so long it impedes
d/l times. Only people I plonk are verified trolls or spidiots.

Pop

Snippage8
I abhor those who waste bandwidth
with posts that either don't respond to the OP's question or are
argumentative.
Snippage8
Pop

Me too................




Remove "YOURPANTIES" to reply

MUADIB®

http://www.angelfire.com/retro/sster...IN%20PAGE.html

one small step for man,.....
One giant leap for attorneys.

Dear SteveO,
My sincerest apologies If my original reply offended you, as
suggested by Pop. I assure you it is only my wish to help others, not
to beat them down with poorly thought out opinions. I am hoping to
help further still, but without sounding condescending.

I did a little search to see if I could come up with something that I
could identify your door installation. Here's what I found.

http://www.foothilldoors.com/helpgifs2/doorinstall.html

Is this like your door mounting?

Step 11 shows a basic installation and adjustment arrangement and
explains the mechanism fairly well, Just from a picture.
The doors I dealt with years ago, were not exactly like this, but the
principles of the whole mounting and adjsutment were similar enough
that i won't try and confuse things with my OPINION.

If this is not what your door installation looks like, please post a
picture somehow to help in the discussion and maybe find even better
adjustment information.

I am sorry If I sounded condescening before. I was actually trying to
prevent any damage/danger by my suggestion/s.




Remove "YOURPANTIES" to reply

MUADIB®

http://www.angelfire.com/retro/sster...IN%20PAGE.html

one small step for man,.....
One giant leap for attorneys.